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REBORN: More on Nick's Book

Thursday, February 20, 2014

I’ve received a lot of questions about Reborn (Altered #3), especially now that people have read Erased, so I thought I’d do another update post for those of you who might be new to the series (or the
blog).

Altered and Erased were Anna’s books, and her story ended
with Erased. But, while her story has an end, the Branch’s story doesn’t. The
same could be said for the boys. There are still a lot of holes in the boys’
pasts. Who were they before the Branch? How did they come to work together? This
was something I wanted to explore in Reborn, and I really really wanted to
explore it with Nick.

Reborn is Nick’s book, for sure, but it will be told in a
dual POV. Half from Nick’s POV, and half from a new girl character’s POV. If
you read my old post about A3, then you might have heard me call her Callie,
but once I started writing the book, I realized she wasn’t a Callie at all. So
I changed her name! It’s now Elizabeth, and it fits so much better.

Nick has been having flashbacks about his life before and
after joining the Branch, and there’s one girl he can’t get out of his head. He
breaks from the group to do a bit more digging, and that’s when the action
begins. Who is this girl? And is she connected to the Branch?

Reborn is very close to being finished (YAY!), so I can
confidently say that it turned out to be a lot different than Altered and
Erased. For one, it’s a dual POV, and one of those POVs is a genetically
altered (male) badass. I’ve never really tackled writing a male POV (other than
Trout in Bot Wars – but he’s a preteen, so it’s different!). Nick doesn’t see
the world the same way Anna does. That was an adjustment, but a great writing
experience. He’s also a lot angrier, a lot more broken, and a bit
unpredictable. I loved writing him.

Elizabeth is also broken, for many reasons, and I certainly
don’t want to give anything away. But, I can say, she’s a perfect match for
Nick, in that they’re both confused about the past, present, and especially
their future. They both have a lot of healing to do before either of them can let another person into their lives.

When I set out to write this book, and when I tried to
picture who would make a great companion for Nick, I originally pictured a girl
who was as equally badass as Nick, someone to whip him into shape, someone who
wouldn’t take his crap. But then I realized, Nick would never let someone like
that into his life. He would immediately go on the defensive. He grew up in a
home where he was constantly pushed around, whipped into shape, and those kinds
of strong personalities turn Nick off.

What someone like Nick needs is a person who is not afraid
of a damaged past, who knows what pain is, and who would accept him, flaws and
all.

I love writing characters who kickass, especially female
characters that kickass! But strength can come in many forms, and I thought
perhaps it was time to write a female character that, on the outside, is the
opposite of kickass, but on the inside, is as strong as steel.

Reborn is a long ways away (eleven months!) but I can’t
wait for people to read it. It IS different from Altered and Erased, but I
think it’s a good different. And of course, there IS lots of ass kicking!

If you have any other questions about Reborn, drop them
in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer!

12 comments on "REBORN: More on Nick's Book"

Because I have been so busy reading for my challenges, I have to admit that I haven't read Erased yet, although it came in perfectly on time because I pre-ordered it ages ago. ^^ BUT I am so looking forward to it! Even now, when you say that Anna's story ends... I am curious to find out about Nick, I really loved him so far!, but I think I'd enjoy books for the others, too. Cas, for one, because he gave off such a totally differnt feel from the other three of the group, but I'm kinda also curious about Trevor's further development inside the Branch. You just left so much yet uncovered that I can't help but be curious and excited like it's the night before Christmas. ;)

Hi jenn i have a question... Ive seen on the web that u have written 2 other books called escape and hide... I was wondering if they r apart of the altered series? And i also see that they r only in German.... Is there by any chance that they r in English as well??? Just really curious they seem interesting :)

Hey Anon! Escape is actually Altered. It's the German version of Altered. So, same story, but translated to German! And Hide is the German version of Erased. Sometimes foreign publishers change the titles to make them fit better with their current market and/or language. :-)

Thank u for answering :) i have to tell u that i actually just finished reading Altered today ! A friend introduced me to it and i was non stop in reading it..... I absolutley loved it !!!! And i cant wait to read the rest :D i think u r very gifted and talented in writing these books.... I truly hope u continue to write more of the series and i was kinda sad when i found out sam and anna dont continue anymore:( i wld really love to see them come out more other than just Altered and Erased...... But anyways i hope to read the rest and HOPE u make more!!!! Congrats on all of ur success so far its awesome XD

First I want to say that I found the first two parts really great. They have become my favorite novels. I have read them so quickly. By the way, your style of writing is brilliant. I love it. Although I must say that I have read both books in German. I still waiting of the translation. Anna as a suspect was something really needs to get used to. I have long speculated about that. I don't know if I still think she is sympathetic for me. Nick and Trev were my absolute favorite characters. Cas was also really nice, but Nick was allways different. Women are interested in handsome macho types. Therefore, I think the idea (to write about Nick) is really magnificent. On the one hand, I'm totally excited but then again not. To leave Anna and Sam means the chapter is not complete. Honestly? I thought it would be different when I found out that the third book is about Nick. Probably the most open questions related to Nick's life. I don't deny this. But I've felt since the beginning that Anna and Nick had a relationship in their past. And I had been looking forward to it. He is an aggressive man. But why? My answer was pretty simple and I think also realistic. I thought it was just because he is jealous of Sam. Of course unconsciously and he loves Anna. And Anna has also inexplicable feelings for him. I thought they belong together...

In general I think the past is missing. Couldn't you continue to write about Anna's life? There is still much to tell. Please, please, write on. My neighbor and I want to read more. You created a world in which the story must not end like this.

Jennifer, I noticed that Altered, Erased and Reborn were all released in January of the years, 2013, 2014, and 2015. In 2016, there was no book released... Does this mean that you are done with the Alrered series? Or does this mean that this will be the best book yet and you are simply taking time to perfect it? Also are the other books besides these three about the same things? I absolutely LOVE your writing and hope and pray that one day someone will make a movie of these books. I would buy them all immediately, as I did with the books:) Thanks!